Power must shift to the North, says Northern elders Forum, spits fire , Says Jonathan’s govt most corrupt, clueless

Northern elders, yester­day vowed that they would not go back on their resolve to ensure that a president of northern extrac­tion emerges in next month’s presidential elections,

insist­ing that the region would re­sist any attempt to manipulate the polls or form an interim government.

Speaking under the auspices of Northern Elders Forum (NEF), the elders refuted series of allegations levelled against them by the leaders of South­ern Nigeria Peoples Assembly (SNPA).

According to the deputy leader of NEF, Wantaregh Paul Unongo who addressed a press conference in Abuja on behalf of other members, the allegations were unfounded and meant to turn the country against them.

Accusing SNPA, NEF said contrary to the weighty allega­tions that the group is made up of religious and ethnic bigots, bent on frustrating the re-elec­tion bid of President Goodluck Jonathan, it said to played a ma­jor role in 2011 in the emergence of the president.

“NEF rejects the wild alle­gations of SNPA in their total­ity. They are completely false, irrational and irresponsible. In the immediate past, NEF made numerous public state­ments and had taken numerous positive actions which show and prove conclusively that NEF is peopled by men of honour and integrity, who are great patri­ots and not ‘unrepentant group of ethno bigots’ as asserted by SNPA,” Unongo told journal­ists.

Commenting on the Jona­than’s administration, which he described as comatose, Unongo said: “NEF believes that what annoyed and irritated this ad­ministration with our organisa­tion and with members of NEF is our fierce resistance to being absorbed as cheer leaders of an administration which appears objectively comatose and clue­less in problem solving, using massive graft, ethnicity, nepo­tism and impunity to induce ‘elders, critical institutions of state power, restive youths and super-impoverished citizenry to join in self-deception and mass delusion of a better tomorrow just around the corner.

“NEF believes unequivocal­ly that change is possible and is coming, sooner than later. This is why NEF has on numerous occasions advocated strongly for the emergence of a perform­ing presidential candidate, even from Ijaw land, if need be. But now, we prefer a candidate of northern extraction. This is because members of NEF are “unrepentant group of ethno bigots”, as asserted by SNPA.”

NEF equally denied claims that it was working with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rig the presidential election in favour of General Muhammadu Bu­hari.

“NEF asserts, unequivo­cally that it is not and has never been an organ of INEC. Under a democratic dispensation, gov­ernment institutions like INEC must be encouraged to consult widely, continuously with all stakeholders in deciding on critical issues.

“The SNPA’s irrational al­legations against NEF were a camouflage, a mere ruse to pro­vide needed excuse to scuttle the 2015 elections and promote tenure elongation of an ex­tremely unpopular administra­tion that was confronted with imminent sacking by the popu­lar will of the sovereign people of Nigeria,” he added.